Jamaica Inn (1939)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Sidney Gilliat (screenplay) &
Joan Harrison (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 October 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime

Plot:

In Cornwall, around 1800, a young woman discovers that she's living near a gang of criminals who arrange shipwrecks for profit.

Plot Keywords:

Suspense | Pirate | Nobility | Murder | Police

Cast

Charles Laughton	...	Sir Humphrey Pengallan
Horace Hodges	...	Chadwick - his Butler
Hay Petrie	...	Sam - his Groom
Frederick Piper	...	Davies - his Agent
Herbert Lomas	...	His Tenant
Clare Greet	...	Granny Tremarney - Sir Humphrey's tenant
William Devlin	...	His Tenant
Jeanne De Casalis	...	His Friend (as Jeanne de Casalis)
Mabel Terry-Lewis	...	Lady Beston - Sir Humphrey's friend (as Mabel Terry Lewis)
A. Bromley Davenport	...	Ringwood - Sir Humphrey's friend (as Bromley Davenport)
George Curzon	...	Captain Murray - Sir Humphrey's friend
Basil Radford	...	Lord George - Sir Humphrey's friend
Leslie Banks	...	Joss Merlyn
Marie Ney	...	Aunt Patience Merlyn
Maureen O'Hara	...	Mary Yellen

Runtime:

108 min | Canada:90 min (Ontario) | USA:98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #02483) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Australia:G (TV rating) | France:U | Finland:K-15 (2006) | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Mayflower Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This was the last movie that Alfred Hitchcock made in England before going to Hollywood under contract to David O. Selznick.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tramaine and Sir Humphrey are sharing a drink, the Squire drinks holding the glass with his left hand and sets it down using his right.

Quotes:

Sir Humphrey Pengallan: [to Mary after murdering her Aunt Patience] Good clean shot, wasn't it? I'm sorry. Poor creature, she had suffered so much, but I was forced to do it! You see, she was going to tell you about me. I didn't like that. I wanted to tell you myself.

Movie Connections:

Version of Auberge de la Jamaïque, L' (1995) (TV)

Antiquated drama.

"Jamaica Inn" is a rarity in Hitchcock's filmography: a film that was BEHIND its time (it could have been an early talkie). It is notable only for the hints of sexual perversion one can find in the performances of Charles Laughton and Leslie Banks; in fact, the villains of the piece are much more interesting than the bland heroes. No "Juno and the Paycock", but still one of Hitchcock's weakest. (**)